1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a helmet having an opening type chin protection bar, and in particular to a helmet having and opening type chin protection bar that is capable of achieving the simpler appearance by improving a hinge mechanism of U.S. Pat. No. 6,598,238 (Jaw Protecting Apparatus of Helmet,) hereinafter reffered to as “the prior art”) and is capable of achieving a more efficient opening and closing operation of a chin protection bar by improving an opening and closing locking unit of the chin protection bar.
2. Description of the Background Art
Generally, when riding a two-wheeled vehicle such as a motorcycle, etc., it is needed to wear a head protection helmet for protecting a rider's head. A shield is installed in a front side of the helmet for thereby preventing any interference of a visual field of a rider by a wind blowing from a forward side and any breathing problem.
In a conventional helmet, a chin protection bar is installed in a front lower side of the helmet for protecting a rider's chin. Both sides of the chin protection bar are fixed to both sides of a helmet body. The chin protection bar fixed to the helmet is stably fixed for preventing disengagement from the helmet.
In a state that the rider wears a helmet, the rider cannot talk with a certain person or cannot drink any beverage or cannot smoke. In addition, in a state that a buffering material is provided in the interior of an outer layer of a conventional chin protection bar of the helmet, since a fixture operating as a center of the weight is fixed at the center of the body of the helmet, the weight of the chin protection bar is applied to a front side of the user during the use of the helmet. Therefore, the feeling of use of the helmet is bad.
The prior art is provided to overcome the above-described problems. In the opening and closing structure of the chin protection member 4, there are two examples.
In the first example, as shown in FIG. 1, a shield 3 is installed in a front opening portion of a helmet body 1 rotatably in the upper and lower directions. A chin protection bar 4 having a buffering material is installed in a lower front side of the shield 3. As shown in FIG. 1, a fixture 5 having an engaging shoulder is installed at both sides of the helmet body 1. Opposite lockers 7 are installed at both sides of the chin protection bar 4 wherein the lockers 7 are supported by a guide 6, respectively, and rotate with respect to a shaft 8.
In addition, a support member 9 is installed in a front inner side of the chin protection bar 4. A movable member 10 having a handle 11 is installed. A center portion of a connector 12 connected with the lockers 7 is fixedly installed at the movable member 10. As the movable member 10 is rotated, the connector 12 is pulled, and then the lockers 7 are rotated. As the lockers 7 are rotated, the locking state is unlocked from the engaging shoulder of the fixture 5.
In the second example, as shown in FIG. 2, a guide 701 is installed at one side of a fixture 501 having an engaging shoulder. A locker 601 elastically supported by a spring 23 is slidable in an elongated hole 602 of the guide 701. Both ends of a wire 25 guided by a wire guide 24 at an inner side of the chin protection bar 4 are, respectively, fixed to a movable member 101 and a locker 601. As the movable member 101 is operated, the locker 601 slides and is escaped from the engaging shoulder of the fixture 501 for thereby unlocking the locked state.
But the above-described conventional examples have the following problems.
In the construction of the first example, the connector 12 capable of transferring the force of the movable member 10 for rotating the locker 7 has a stable structure, and the parts of the same are simple for thereby achieving an easier assembling operation. And the connector 12 has a good durability. However, the locker 7 and the guide 6 are needed, and a large number of other parts for the guide are needed. Therefore, the fabrication cost is high, and an assembling property and durability are decreased.
In the construction of the second example, the locker 701 has a relatively simple sliding structure, so that an assembling property and durability are good. However, the wire 25 for moving the locker 601 and the wire guide 24 are needed. In addition, a large number of parts for connecting the above elements are needed. Therefore, an assembling property and durability are bad, and the fabrication cost is high.
The hinge mechanism adapted to upwardly move the whole construction of the conventional chin protection bar 4 has the following problems: Since a hinge bolt for the fixing shaft 15 is engaged in a direction from the outer side of the chin protection bar 4 to the interior of the helmet body 1, the head of the hinge bolt is exposed to the outside.
In addition, the engaged hinge bolt may affect the movement of the chin protection bar based on an engaging degree. Therefore, since there is no member for limiting the engaging degree, it is impossible to achieve a desired hinge function.